Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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P.S. I am transitioning to Stevia, this comes from the grocery store in a pretty green n white box, brand name Truvia. It's a natural sweetener. Another option I heard tell about was Blue Agave Nectar, but I didn't see it anywhere yet.
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Renee and all ~ Am reading back a bit and see the discussion on 4 rounds vs. 6.
My onc told me the descrepancy is merely due to the fact that the old chemos were for 6 rounds, then they did dose dense AC for 4 rounds, then 4 more rounds of something else (usually a Taxol, or Taxol/Avastin). So when they came to thinking about AC vs. TC it was done in 4 rounds. He said it's a problem with all this research that no one is looking at the big picture. No one has compared things head to head. So we DON'T know whether 4 or 6 is better.
All the variation is due to doctors just making a judgement based on your diagnosis and her philosophy of things. Mine said 6 is overkill. But one of my second opinions said 6 is being aggressive.
So you really can make up your own mind, or trust your doctor's instinct.
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To add to the discussion of 4 vs. 6, my onc (a relatively recent arrival from Moffit in Tampa) believed that 4 would be "just fine" and that there's "no evidence that 6 is better than 4", so 4 it was for me... I surely didn't complain and am very glad that 4 was all I needed to do. Just finished up last Monday and was hit for the very first time yesterday (Friday, Day 4/5) with pretty bad anemia... it came as a surprise as I'd not had anything like that before... difficulty breathing, palpitations... very scary... but I'm feeling much better today... did some research and found that more protein and fluids should help, and tylenol + rest has eased the palpitations. It doesn't hurt to breathe anymore either... whew!!! I've read that red blood cells have a lifespan of 120 days, so by now I guess my 4 rounds of TC has wiped out enough of them that I'm starting to really notice!!! Yikes!!! Getting my blood checked again on Monday and expect to be healthier by then! But ladies, beware... this could catch you by surprise too... but apparently it's not unusual nor unexpected after all we've been through! Still, I'm glad it's over and I'm on to "hair watch"!!! Take care of yourselves... we're worth it! Cheers....
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Just to add some humor to all this ~
When my husband had brain cancer, we noticed that each doctor said his trial was "promising" and the other guy's trial was "unproven." If it wasn't so sad it would be hilarious. Also in that world, the prominent surgeons at MAJOR centers were sometimes unaware of what was going on in the MAJOR center down the road. We checked in with a whole bunch of them, U of Chicago, Northwestern, MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering, NYU, UCSF, UCLA, and got a mind spinning variation of treatment options. We picked some intelligent ones.
So you see gals that our journey, compared to that of the Grade 4 brain tumor, is relatively "simple."
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On 4-6, My onc,( who is on that national board that comes up with "Standard" treatment andhas gotten a few best doctor awares and such.) said that because it is a new treatment they really don't know which is better 4 vs 6. The trial comparing AC to TC was done with 4 treatments and it was better than AC so that is the starting point. There is I beleive another trial going on comparing 4 to 6 but it is not done yet. Anyway, he said 4 was fine but if I felt I wanted to know I had done everything I could I could do 6 and that is what I chose to do. I can always stop after 4 if I am having a problem but I have been doing pretty well concidering so far so I plan to do the 6. My only concern is possible long term effects that we are not yet really aware of being more likely with more treatments but this feels like the right decision to me, so it is really my mind and not my gut worrying and I give more credeance to my gut.
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kmmd - I am so sorry. Whatever your next phase is.. I hope it's uneventful and you have a better time of it... it's hard for us to hear stories like that... but important that we do...
Unfortunately I had yet another allergic reaction to Taxotere on TX 3 on Tuesday. Not as violent as the one on TX 2, but yes, still scary just the same. They had to yank it again because my chest tightened up and I couldn't breathe normally.... this was my 2nd reaction so the onc came in and I could tell she wanted to stop it altogether. She was saying that if a patient has a 2nd allergic reaction, she switches them to "AC"... and I really do not want to switch drugs at this point... so I pleaded for them to try it again... they ended up diluting it with saline and pushing it through at 1/3 the rate. I was there from 9:30-6:30p. Luckily, it went in. So, round 3 sucked... and I have to say I'm down about it because I had just decided to do 6 tx instead of 4... now I'm not even sure #4 will go in... we shall see I guess... my body HATES taxotere but I keep forcing it in....hopefully I can accomplish at least one more....
Anyway, hope everyone's FLS days are behind them... hang tough Jewels!
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holtbolt
Too bad about your problems. Hopefully you will be able to have your fourth. I really don't suggest taking six. But we must listen to the oncologist. Mine also gave me a choice of 4 or 6. She said if I tolerated 4 well I could have 6. At this point I am not thinking about doing 6.
MY hair falls out next week . I know that will be difficult.
Stay strong..
Hugs to all.
Francine
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We'll see... once they're able to get it in... I can tolerate it ok I guess...guess I'll see how #4 goes. Not making any decisions yet on that.....
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KMMD thank for the post. I had my first taxotere on thurs and am experiencing some of the worse SEs I have had. The AC did not effect me this bad. I am one to tend to ignore the SEs and hope they go away fast so thanks for hitting me up side the head so I won't ignore these. Hope your recovery is fast. My prayers are with you.
Patti
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Firni,
I just saw your post from a few days ago about your poor fingernails. I don't know if it is too late but the things I was told would help prevent that were 1) wearing cold gel gloves during the infusion (Sanofi Aventis the maker of Taxotere makes these - some facilities have them but others don't) or barring that, put your hands in ice or on ice packs, etc; 2) putting on either nail hardener or very dark nail polish. I wore the gloves each infusion and kept nail hardener on until a couple of weeks post-chemo and that all seemed to work. Not sure if ice will help you now that nails are already lifting up, but maybe it would salvage the ones that are still attached.
Good luck!
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KMMD- I am so glad you are in the right place to get the best treatment needed for your situation, and YES you are correct sometimes we have to listen to our bodies when it tells us something just isn't right.
Hello ladies, 8 days until last treatment and already nervous about it because 3rd one hit me the hardest, I pray this one is going to go better and this will all be behind me forever. I know a few of us are having the last treatment over the next week or two, as for me no further treatment just scans to follow (triple neg) so I pray for all of you whom are going on to another chemo regime or rads.
Guess what, I'm bald (smile) and wearing it just like that. I made a mistake because I had a hot flash while running errands and took wig off in the car, needless to say when I went in Walgreen's to pick up DS Rx i forgot to put it on and I am a regular there, the young lady whom waits on me regularly commented on how cute I looked with my bald head, I had an instant of shock/humiliation and then I saw she really meant it, haven't worn the wig since and have honestly received many compliments on my baldness, even at the ong office from other patients wishing they could go bald like me.
Just wanted to share a positive note in my life right now, the little stuff means a whole lot more in the scheme of things here recently. i wish all of you well and a s/e free week if at all possible.
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Thanks dcgirl. I have one Tx left and I will use cold therapy. I'm also trying to keep my hands out of hot water at home. My onc nurses don't believe it will do any good, but at this point, I'll do anything. Someone else suggested Tea Tree Oil too so I'm all over that even tho it smells bad. I put hard as nails on as soon as the nail lifting started, but I guess that horse is already out of the barn. So far they are all still attached.
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Misty - My 4th treatment did not hit me as hard as my 3rd. I guess it was because the 4th treatment was my last. You can do it! Congratulations on making through!!!!!
Firni - Before we started treatment in December I read where someone was taping their nails so they would not lift. I'm not sure if it is helpful but I'd thought I let you know. I hope this is not to painful for you. You're almost done, right?
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My nails don't hurt at all. They didn't ever hurt before they started lifting. I'll try the tape too. Like I said, I'll try anything to keep the nails on my fingers. Yes. I am almost done. I have one Tx left on 3-25. Then, let the healing begin!!
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Firni ~ Thought I'd pop back in and add that one of the gals on our August 08 chemo board (Roya) had an extremely difficult time with her nails and had to tape them. She said that if you have to tape, wig tape, which I'd never heard of, was the best one to use, I think because it comes off with the least amount of pulling. Just thought I'd pass that along to you if you feel the need to tape. Take care ~ Deanna
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The oncologist is being ultra careful by giving me chemo- with the triple negative and brca 1+...he's covering all bases. It certainly doesn't seem like a scientific formula- it's a just in case...so, how can i say no!
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Thanks for the well wishers. I'm home from the hospital now but boy its going to be a long recuperation to get back to where I was. The saga isn't over, kidneys partially recovered but not completely and we don't know if they'll get much better then they are now. Problem now is my liver enzymes are climbing. Again, they think its the taxotere. Not much to do but watch and hope my liver starts repariring itself. I never had problems with nails or mouth sores. Isn't it funny how it hits all of us differently.
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Kmmd, I was confused with you and Holtbolt and merged your two stories, responding privately to Cindy instead of you.... I am so sorry you have been so ill.You are both in my prayers... Please take your time when you pursue further treatment options....I just hate that anyone would have to go through that.....
I am stressing about round 3 based on both of your stories...we will see next week.
Love to all on this board...I am having a great day, 4 in a row now and am very grateful!
Funny story: I left my 3year old alone in my room for about 10 minutes while on the phone...she had kid scissors and our 13 year old dog. I returned to see a very guilty looking toddler, and 1 inch black hairs in clumps on my bed....had to do a doubletake because I thought it was my hair and I have been bald for over 3 weeks! My poor sweet dog, Maggie. I will have to post some pictures....she just has a few bald spots now!
sue from fl
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Sue, Poor dog. How tolerant of her to let your baby cut her hair.
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It feels good to laugh! Thanks for the dog story. I just started TC last Thursday, and I have felt mind-boggled and body-boggled each day! I did CMF in 1995, then no chemo after 2nd breast ca in 2006 (hormonal only recommended), and I thought I was sort-of-kind-of-ready for this TC adventure (for chest wall recurrence dx'd in Jan). How naive to have thought I might go back to work on Monday! I was out today, too, and will be out tomorrow as well. Thursday I will do labs and see the NP if I am "not any better." I have lots of side effects but I am noticing that on/in both sides of my throat, the back of my neck, and my right armpit swollen areas (nodes probably) that are very tender. I had a temp late yesterday but not since. My port, just implanted about 10 days ago, does not appear to be swollen, irritated, etc. I have difficulty swallowing but no shortness of breath. And if the colace does not work, I am going to try to stay calm so my husband and dog don't hide from me. Gee, am I starting to ramble? Oh, well, any input on the tender, swollen nodes and how long you had to "lay low" will be helpful.
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Brenda,
I was only down on days 4 & 5 after treatment. It was amazing that one day you wake up and you're back to normal. At least that's how it was for me. Just listen to your body. Don't try to do too much!
Sonia
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Oh, be still my heart! Right now I am just wishing that I had been down for "just" a week! Had my labs drawn this morning; WBC only 1.4 after just the first chemo! YIKES! Got a nice little shot of Neupogen and was sent home; will go back tomorrow for more labs and, probably, more Neupogen. My husband and my dog SEEM to be healthy, but I am watching and listening very suspiciously. I don't want to get any infection!
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reading about all your travails - brenda, i would chk w your onc about the nodes - it is prolly your body's thinking you have been invaded there, and it has! are the nodes on your surgery side? i am more aware of lymphedema on acct i am doing rads now. don't havr it, just worrying LOL.
kmmd - my heart is with you, you have really been thru the wringer ...
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Hey, all! Questions for those of you further down the road... I have had my 1st tx of 4 rounds. This thread is extremely helpful for me.
1) As far as the "tea tree oil" for nails, how/when/how much do you apply? Also, is it a given my nails will lift?
2) On the eyebrows, is it also a given my eyebrows will go the way of my other hairs? If so, is there a general time frame of when?
3) My onc told me to stop taking my vitamins during my tx... is this standard for everyone?
Thank you to anyone that responds!
~Jan~
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Hi Jan, The nails lifting is not a given. Neither is losing your eyebrows altho they do seem to thin out for everyone. These two things seem to vary a lot among the women here. The Tea Tree Oil should be applied at bedtime. Just rub a drop or two into the cuticle and around the edges of the nail. Also use cold therapy during your Taxol or Taxotere infusion. The other thing you can do is use Hard as Nails. Keep your nails trimmed short. Many oncs and onc nurses say none of these things work. But everyone who has done them hasn't had a problem with their nails. As far as the vitamins, it is pretty standard that oncs will ask women to stop taking them as well as other supplements because they can interfere with the chemo. If there is something you really want to continue taking, ask your onc before you do so. You sure don't want to go thru all this just to find out you might have sabotaged it.
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Mom_of_Boys: I am 11 days out from my last of 4 T/C treatments, and my nails were fine throughout. I did keep them short (they've never been very good anyway), have not used anything on them, nor did I use any cold treatments (none was offered to me either). I am just now feeling some "tenderness" in only two fingernails, but even that's getting better as I continue to "recover". No lifting. My eyebrows have always been kinda thin, I guess, so I haven't noticed any difference. I've read on these forums that they usually take a powder & then return sometime after the last treatment, so I'm ready if they leave me now. I stopped taking ALL other meds while on chemo except the occasional tylenol or ativan as needed, because I did not want to take a chance that anything would interfere with the work either the T or the C had to do!
Good luck to you and your journey. It will go by faster than you think. Perhaps the best thing you can do for yourself is to keep hydrated. It really can make a difference in how well you feel! Keep the q's coming... someone here will surely have answers or experiences to share. Cheers.
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Firni and Snowbird.... Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your detailed responses. I sooo appreciate the information. The vitamin thing had been worrying me. I was afraid it was something unique to my own onc. You both have alleviated my concerns. I'm going to go out today (or rather send my DH out :~) ) for some of the tea tree oil. Certainly it can't hurt.
I'll be baaaacccckkkk I'm sure with more questions!
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Hi Jan -
I had 4 tx of TC and finished up 5 weeks ago. My nails were never a problem, I just kept them short and groomed with clear polish. They have a grayish cast but so far no lifting. I lost my eyebrows after the second treatment. That to me was the cruelest because with the bald head it was a look I just needed to address. So now I draw on a light brow and no one seems to know the difference or they are too polite to comment on my attempts
) I hope they come back soon as my lashes are also starting to thin. Before my first chemo I took a bag full of all the supplements I take and he went through each one with me. I was able to stay on almost everything(he eliminated anything with grapefruit extract) and he added in more calcium with D, B complex, fish oil and jumped up my calcium. So, I guess all oncs are different but I felt better being able to take something while my cells were being attacked. Good luck to you - it will go by faster than you think and these boards are a great way to vent, complain, compare and rejoice.Bobbi
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Strange about the different opinions on vitamins, etc. I was told by my onc to take Vit B-6 for mild neuropathy, Vit E for hot flash control and I take an iron pill too to combat anemia.
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Thank you bobcat and holtbolt for your answers as well!
Okay, another question and YES I want honest answers. My second tx is this coming Wednesday. Should I expect my SEs to be about the same, worse, or better?
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